At Alaska Sleep Clinic, we are constantly searching for the latest in education and treatment for sleep disorders. One American doctor we consistently look to for theories and medical advances in sleep is Dr. Steven Park.
Dr. Park is an author and surgeon who helps people who are always sick or tired to once again reclaim their health and energy. His passion is to identify and empower people to overcome sleep-related breathing problems, which most people don’t realize is the real reason for many of their common medical ailments.
The following is an article Dr. Park recently published on his website, https://doctorstevenpark.com/:
A consequence of being a sleep doctor is that I constantly get bombarded with questions about sleep by complete strangers at parties, gatherings, and especially on airplanes. It seems that almost everyone I meet has or knows someone that can’t sleep. They’ve tried all the typical methods and hacks recommend by friends or found online, with minimal to no success. At this point, I use NOSTRILS as a reminder of the 8 important steps to help those of you that are struggling to fall or stay asleep.
Breathing problems result during sleep leading to various physical ailments that are so common in our society today This is what I talk about in my book Sleep Interrupted A physician reveals the 1 reason why so many of us are sick and tired
Nose
Being able to breathe optimally through your nose is the single most important thing to start with If you cant breathe through your nose this will force you to mouth breathe which causes more obstructed breathing as explained in my last post If you are breathing well through your nose but suddenly suffer from an allergy attack you begin to toss and turn because your nose is more stuffy This is due to the vacuum effect thats created in your throat like what happens when you suck on a straw with the other end pinched closed Read my free report on How to Unstuff Your Stuffy Nose
Oxygen
Getting more oxygen is commonly touted as being more healthy This is a myth
The air you breathe has plenty of oxygen thats available to your body When you stop breathing multiple times at night it creates a stress response that shuts down blood flow to your gut your reproductive organs and higher level areas of your brain As this problem worsens it can carry over into the daytime leading to poor oxygenation of tissues that are required for optimal health
Another important process that lowers oxygen to your body occurs when you dont breathe through your nose The nose makes a gas called nitric oxide which dilates blood vessels Once this gas reaches your lungs it relaxes smooth muscles in your blood vessels allowing more oxygen absorption Bypassing the nose while breathing can result in 10 to 20 lower oxygen intake
Lastly if you have obstructive sleep apnea long pauses in breathing can definitely deprive your brain and body of oxygen
Sleep Position
Due to smaller jaw development and narrowed airways in modern humans most modern people prefer to avoid sleeping on their backs However if something happens to force you to sleep on your back such as an injury or surgery your sleep quality can go downhill rapidly
Certain professionals advise people to sleep on their backs For example chiropractors advise supine sleep for better spinal alignment Dermatologists recommend against side or tummy sleep due to the increased risk of facial wrinkles Ideally back sleep is preferred but if you cant breathe properly then your sleep quality drops and you end up aging faster with more facial wrinkles Traditionally doctors recommended pinning a sock filled with a tennis ball behind your back but these days there are more effective sleep positioners that can be found online Slumberbump and others
Timing
Proper timing of when you eat dinner is the single most important thing to consider if you want to get a great nights sleep Since most modern humans stop breathing occasionally even without sleep apnea any additional stomach juices can be forced up into your throat causing more inflammation and swelling with more obstructions and less efficient sleep Poor sleep in general promotes weight gain and this can aggravate sleep breathing problems
Relaxation
In my book Sleep Interrupted A physician reveals the 1 reason why so many of us are sick and tired I explain that frequent obstructions with brain wave arousals lead to fragmented sleep which in turn intensifies your bodys physiologic stress response Whether physical emotional or psychological your body reacts to stress the same way The biological consequences of stress is well described in Dr Robert Sapolskys book Why Zebras Dont Get Ulcers This is why whatever you can do to reduce stress is vital to getting a good nights sleep Regular exercise routine breaks deep breathing exercises yoga or meditation are common options you can choose from
However if you physically cant breathe due to a severely deviated nasal septum or huge golf ball sized tonsils then no amount of breathing exercises or relaxation techniques will help to calm you down
Ingestion
You are what you eat and food is medicine Its common sense that eating a healthy diet while minimizing damaging toxins and chemicals is important for good health and well being I discussed these issues extensively in my past podcasts How I Stay Thin and Healthy and Toxins
Light
Lower your exposure to artificial lights especially computerphone screens or fluorescent lights after dinner Light especially blue light lowers melatonin which starts to rise about 2 hours before your natural sleep time Spend more time outdoors and expose your eyes to indirect sunlight during the day Expose more of your skin to sunlight to get the benefits of natural vitamin D hormone production
There are many documented benefits of healthy levels of Vitamin D including protection against cancer One study looked at this question and concluded that a moderate increase in sun exposure may lead to improved overall cancer survival over the risk of developing skin cancer
Sleep Hygiene
This section includes all the basic fundamentals of good and healthy sleep habits and thoughts You can find more important about his in my interview with Dr Gregg Jacobs author of Say Good Night to Insomnia The Six Week Drug Free Program Developed At Harvard Medical School In short here are the 7 basic steps
No eating close to bedtime
Dont sleep on your back
No electronic screens before bedtime
Use the bed only for sleep and sex
Dont eat in bed
If you cant fall asleep within 30 minutes get up and do something quiet or relaxing for 10 15 minutes
If you normally take 2 hours to fall asleep in bed stay up until 30 minutes before your typical sleep time
Make Good Sleep a Priority Habit
Many of you are still struggling with getting a good nights sleep You may have tried various sleep remedies pills hacks or even sleep apnea treatment options Unfortunately theres no single technique or pill thats going to solve your sleep problems
Optimal sleep is a cumulation of habits thoughts and actions that layer on top of one another Additionally many doctors miss the fact that there may be a breathing problem on top of your bad thoughts or habits If youre overweight then that needs to be addressed as well The challenge in losing weight is that poor sleep promotes weight gain
Always start with the basics described above If the above steps dont help then see a sleep professional If you have any breathing problems see your primary care doctor or an ENT surgeon as well Some people with sleep problems do well with just eating an early dinner and improving nasal breathing Others need to layer on the other steps mentioned If none of these remedies help its time to see a sleep physician
Remember getting a great nights sleep doesnt happen by taking a pill or using a device Its a focused and determined lifestyle of slowly layering on different techniques to not only improve your sleep quality but to maintain it as well
At Alaska Sleep Clinic our motto is Improve Your Sleep Improve Your Life So simple and SO TRUE Call us today for your free sleep assessment with a board certified sleep specialist
Dr Steven Y Park is an author and surgeon who helps people who are always sick or tired to once again reclaim their health and energy For the past 13 years in private practice and 6 years in academia he has helped thousands of men and women breathe better sleep better and live more fulfilling lives His passion is to identify and empower people to overcome sleep related breathing problems which most people dont realize is the real reason for many of their common medical ailments
Dr Park is a native of New York City He received his undergraduate degree from The Johns Hopkins University and his medical degree from Columbia Universitys College of Physicians Surgeons His otolaryngology residency training was completed at Albert EinstenMontefiore He is a
Fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery
Member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Board certified in Otolaryngology ear nose throat Head Neck Surgery
Board certified in Sleep Medicine
Actively involved in teaching residents and other surgeon in cutting edge surgical techniques
Dr Park practices integrative medicine and surgery with a firm belief that other models of health and disease can complement traditional Western medicine He has provided monthly live tele seminars with experts not only related to obstructive sleep apnea but also professionals in other areashe has interviewed an acupuncturist dietician and a neuro linguistic programming and hypnosis expert in the past He firmly believes that one must treat the whole person first including addressing his or her diet lifestyle stresses and emotional states rather than focusing on one simple symptom or area of the body
He is a published author of the book Sleep Interrupted A physician reveals the 1 reason why so many of us are sick and tired
